AUSTIN — Leaders of an interfaith group that includes Christians, Jews and Muslims urged the State Board of Education on Monday to abandon what they called an "inflammatory" resolution that purportedly documents an anti-Christian, pro-Islamic bias in world history textbooks.
The resolution, which is expected to come before the board Friday, is threatening to entangle the board in a new controversy after a series of "culture war" debates that has brought national attention to the 15-member panel. Critics have accused social conservatives on the board of trying to inject their philosophy into textbooks and classrooms.
Chairwoman Gail Lowe of Lampasas said the resolution is on the agenda but added that she doesn't "have a clue" about the outcome. Lowe, who would vote only in the case of a tie, said she supports the concept of the resolution. She said she has received about 30 letters and e-mails on the issue, all but one of which supported the resolution.
Board member Pat Hardy of Fort Worth said the resolution is worthy of consideration at some point, but not while the board struggles with a state funding crisis that threatens the purchase of new textbooks.
"We've got an issue of whether we're even going to have textbooks again," Hardy said. The resolution, she said, "is worthy of keeping on the back burner, but I don't think we need it on the front burner right now."
Written by an unsuccessful school board candidate, the resolution would seek to restrain publishers from printing textbooks that display a favorable tilt toward Islam and a bias against Christianity. Citing examples, the resolution contends that world history textbooks once used in Texas classrooms gave more favorable attention to Islam and comparatively less to Christianity.
But four leaders of an interfaith group -- two Protestant ministers, a Jewish rabbi and an Islamic imam -- held a news conference Monday to denounce the claims as either false or deeply misleading. They also released an "open letter" signed by 97 other religious figures urging the board to reject the resolution.
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